Roll changing apparatus



i April 14, 1936.

c. F. BUENTE 2,037,210

ROLL CHANGING APPARATUS I Filed Dec. 18, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR April 14, 1936.

c. F. BUENTE ROLL, CHANGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \v 1--- MN NW. RN

l llll IIIIIIHII l llllHl l nH l l l wrrussszs 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 -w 5 fill u INVENTOR Aprll 14, 1936. F BUENTE ROLL CHANGING APPARATAUS Filed Dec. 18, 1934 WITNESSES It is necessaryfor various reasons, as is well plurality'of pairs of spaced piers 8 which are utiknown, to remove and replace or change the rolls lized as a support for the roll-changing apparatus. of a rolling mill at frequent intervals. In large In accordance with the invention a cross memmills and. especially mills of the backed-up workher or tie 9 is securely bolted to the tops of each ing roll type this is both a diflicult and a costly of the opposed pairs of these piers 8 and adapted operation, difiicult because of the size andweight to receive and support the roll-changing appa- 10 of the rolls, and costly because of the time conratus proper designated generally by the numeralsumed by it which is wasted as the mill must be In. As shown, this apparatus comprises princi-. stopped while the rolls are being changed. pally a frame ll made up of a pair of rail-form- With this in 'mind it is the primary object of ing side plates, I2 held together by a plurality of I this invention to provide a simple and sturdily spaced cross members I3 and a power-driven constructed roll-changing apparatus which is buggy M to which there is attached a pair of skids adapted to both facilitate the changing of the 15 that are adapted to slide upon the tops of rolls and minimize the time required to make the the side plates l2 and be slid into the mill houschange. ings 2 under the chucks 5 of the lower backing roll Another object is to provide an apparatus of for changing the roll assembly of the mill. this character which can be conveniently used To provide. a continuous support through the with a plurality of mills. mill for the skids I5 a pair of rails I6 is perma- I'hese and various other objects as well as the nently mounted by means of bolted clamps II or various other novel features and advantages of other suitable means in the lower corners of the the invention will be apparent when the followhousing windows and projected beyond the "end ing detailed description is read in conjunction of the mill into the roll-changing pit I sufficiently with the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 far enough to be engaged by the front ends of the is a plan view of a rolling mill and roll-changing side plates I 2 of the roll-changing apparatus I apparatus incorporating one embodiment of the frame II which are spaced the same distance invention; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the rollapart as these rails. To effectively guide the changing apparatus shown in Fig 1 but illusskids l5 and also the buggy M to which the skids trating the rolls'of the mill on the roll-changing are attached over the side plates l2 and these latapparatus outside of the mill and the roll houster rails l6, the side frames I2 and these rails are ings in section; Fig. 3 a plan view of the mill with provided on their upper surfaces with tongue-like the roll assembly removed; Fig. 4 a view partly ribs l8 over which grooves 2| provided in the in elevation and partly in section of the base of bottom surfacesof the frame l9 of the buggy and the mill, the section being taken on the line the skids iii are adapted to just fit. While other IV-IV of Fig, 3 and showing the lower backing means may be used for such purpose, the protrud-. roll chuck in full line supported on the skids ating ends of the. housing rails 5 are provided tached'to the roll-changing buggy and in dotted with upwardly projecting, hooks 22 which are 40 Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles F. Buerfii fizfug?i lf a s s ignor to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, 2a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 18,1934, Serial No. 758,035

12 Claims.

This invention relates to rolling mills, and more particularly to apparatus for removing the rolls from and replacing them in the roll housings of such a mill.

lines in its normal. position; Fig. 5 an end view looking toward the mill from the outer end of the roll-changing pit; Fig. 6 a vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1; and Fig. '7 a vertical end of this mill, the drive for which is not shown, there is provided the usual roll-changing pit I which is normally covered by suitable cover plates .also not shown. In suchpit there is provided aadapted toreceive and be engaged by oppositely I ratus frame II when the latter is placed in its' section taken through the mid-section of one of operative position and thereby prevent any--end- 5 the roll housings and the roll chucks supported wise movement of such frame when the .rollin it. changing buggy I4 is being moved along it with Referring in detail 'to the drawings, by way of a load of rolls. explaining the invention the numeral I designates To permit the skids l5 to slide a roll assembly generally a rolling mill of the four-high type out of and into the housings 2 they must of which consists essentially of a pair of roll houscourse supportthe lower backing roll chucks outings 2 provided with the customary windows in of contact with the housing. This means that which there is supported in suitable bearing for the roll assembly to be removed from the chucks 5 and 6, respectively, a pair of working housing it must be raised somewhat and the rolls 3 and backing rolls 4, Opposite the driving skids l5 slid under it and then lowered back onto the skids. To accomplish this an elevator 28 is provided in the base of the mill below the lower backing roll chucks 5. As illustrated, this elevator comprises a cross beam 28a which is secured between the bottomsof the two housings 2 directly below the .centers of the rolls. Adjacent its two ends and on the upper surface of this cross beam there is provided a pair of fixed plungers 24 which are disposed to operate in a pair of cylinders 25 attached to the under side of a movable cross beam 26. This latter cross beam when raised sufliciently by hydraulic pressure supplied to the cylinders 25 by -with them. To replace the assembly all that is required to do is to merely slide the assembly into the housing, lift it off the skids by means of the elevating apparatus, remove the skids, and then lower the assembly into place in the housing windows.

For operating the roll buggy l4 to move the tskids, a motor 29 is mounted on an overhanging platform 3| secured to the frame IQ of the buggy and connected by a drive shaft 32 to a gear-reducing unit 33. From this gear unit a drive shaft 34 is projected into a gear housing 35 and equipped at its, outer end with a worm pinion 36 which is meshed with a pair of opposed worm gears 31. These in turn are keyed to a pair of shafts 38 supported in the frame IQ of the buggy in suitable bearings 39 and 4| and equipped with keyed pinions 42 which are disposed to engage a pair of gear racks 43 attached to the inneri'aces of the side plates l2of the roll-changing apparatus supporting frame I l. Consequently through the use of a reversible motor 29 the buggy l4 can be readily propelled in either direction to remove or replace a roll assembly and, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, various other forms of apparatus can be used for this P 1 56.

Once the rolls are outside of the roll housing they may be picked up individually or the whole roll-changingapparatus frame ll, being projected outwardly to conveniently receive the crane hooks and extended upwardly along and welded to the side plates I 2 for rigidity. To facilitate and securely seat the roll-changing apparatus frame II on the ties 9 extended across the piers 8 in the roll-changing pit 1, the cross members i3 comprising the bottom of this frame H are spaced the same distance apart as these. ties 9 and provided with tapered bottom edges 45 which are adapted to guide the frame to a seat in correspondingly tapered insets 46 provided in the tops of the ties 9.

It is also a feature of the invention to so construct the balancing mechanism for the backis being moved out of and into the roll housings and on the roll-changing apparatus. This phase of the invention is illustrated more partcularly in Fig. 7 in which incidentally the chucks for the backing rolls aswell as those for the working rolls are shown as being identical and interchangeable. This makes for economy of construction and maintenance of the mill, and particularly the latter, as it greatly reduces the number of spare parts which must be carried in stock by the mill operator for repairs.

As illustrated, the chucks 6 in which the necks of the backing rolls 4 are supported are provided in the middle of their abutting faces with rectangular openings in which the chucks 5 for the working rolls 3 are nested, and retained by suitable means not shown. For maintaining the upper backing roll chuck 5 against the mill screws and the working rolls against the backing rolls two pairs of hydraulic pressure jack assemblies 41 and 48 located respectively in the backing and working roll chucks are employed. The firstmentioned of .these assemblies 41 which are located in the backing roll chucks, one on each side of the working roll chucks, comprises two pairs of identical cylinder bores 49 provided in aligned opposition to each other in the abutting faces of the backing roll chucks. In the upper of such bores 49 there is provided a removable filler 5| held in place by a'screw bolt 52, while in the lower one a sleeve 53 and a plunger 54 are arranged, the plunger being adapted to engage the outer end of the filler 5| and to be operative under the influence of some suitable hydraulic pressure, not shown, for lifting the upper backing roll chuck.

To hold the upper backing roll chucks 5 and their supported roll 4 firmly in place when the roll assembly is being changed, the plungers 54 for the backing roll jacks 4'! are adapted to function as retaining pins, being so constructed as to have their outer ends project into insets 55 provided in the fillers 5|. To accomplish this when the working rolls are in place hand valves 56 are provided in the hydraulic pressure lines extending through the backing roll chucks to close the fluid outlet for the cylinders 53 and hold the plungers in their upper positions even though the hydraulic pressure supply is disconnected from the roll assembly. To so function after the working rolls are removed, which they usually are "be-Y fore the assembly is taken out of the housings,

the plungers 54 are made sufiiciently long to extend into the-insets 55 when the backing roll chucks are together, but not long enough to take the weight of the upper chucks under such circumstances.

Like the hydraulic balancing assemblies 41 for the backing rolls, the balancing assemblies 48 for the working rolls each comprise a pair of oppcsed cylindrical bores 51 which are located in the abutting faces of the working roll chucks. In the upper of these a filler 58 is arranged and held in place by a screw bolt 59, while a plunger 6! is disposed in a sleeve 52 mounted on the lower bore 51, and a supply of hydraulic pressure for the lower bore 51 provided by a suitable source not shown.

From the foregoing it will be apparent the the backing roll chucks and also the working roll chucks can be interchanged and that the working rolls and their chucks can be either removed without disturbing the backing rolls, or may be removed with the backing rolls. If the working rolls are to be. removed with the backing rolls, a pressure is locked in the balancing assemblies 41 of the backing rolls by the hand valves 56 before the pressure supply is disconnected from the mill to hold the plungers 54 in the insets 55 of the fillers However, if the working rolls' are removed first the upper backing roll chucks are merelylowered by relieving the pressure in thebalancing jacks 41 until they engage the lower backing roll chucks and the hydraulic pressure disconnected. Under these latter conditions as previously described the plungers 54 of the backing roll balancing assemblies are sufliciently long to function as pins for holding the upper backing roll chucks, in place while they are being moved.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such an apparatus provides a very convenient and readily operable means for changing the rolls of a mill, and one which may be used with a plu-' rality of mills.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. it understood that, within the'scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described. v

I claim:

1. A roll-changing apparatus comprising a supporting frame, a pair of roll assemblysupporting and transferring skids mounted on said frame for movement into and out of a rolling mill under the roll assembly thereof, means permanently mounted in the mill below the entire roll assembly thereof for supporting said skids when inserted in the mill, means for raising the roll assembly to permit the movement thereunder of the skids, and power means connected to said skids for moving them into and out of the mill to convey a roll assembly when rested thereon into or out of the mill.

2. A roll-changing apparatus comprising a supporting frame, a roll bug y mounted for movement on said frame, a pair of skids attached to said buggy and adapted to be slid into a rolling mill under theroll assembly thereof, means permanently mounted in the mill below the entire roll assembly thereof for supporting said skids when inserted in the mill, means for raising the roll assembly to permit the movement thereunder of the skids, and power means for actuating said buggy to slide said skids into and out of the mill to thereby convey a roll assembly rested on them into or out of the mill.

3. A roll-changing apparatus comprising a portable supporting frame provided with rail-like side plates adapted to be mounted at one end of a mill, a pair of skids mounted for endwise movement on, said side plates, means permanently mounted in. the millbelow the entire roll assembly thereof for supporting said skids when Inserted in the mill, means for raising the roll assembly to permit the movement thereunder of the skids, and a power-operated bug y attached to said skids and disposed for movement on said frame for moving said skids into the mill beneath the roll assembly thereof and out again to convey a roll assembly when rested thereon into or out of the mill.

However, I desire to have portable supporting frame provided with raillike side plates adapted to be mounted at one end of a mill, a pair of rails permenently secured in the mill below the chucks of the entire roll assembly and out of contact therewith, a pair of skids normally outside the mill mounted on said supporting. frame for movement into and out of the mill over said side plates and said mill rails,

- means for raising the entire roll assembly to perment with said mill rails, a. pair of skids mounted on said side plates for movement into and out of the mill over said mill rails and beneath the roll assembly of the mill and normally outside the mill, hydraulic means for raising the roll assembly to permit the insertion thereunder of said skids, and power means for actuating said skids to and from the mill.

6. In combination with a rolling mill, a pair of rails mounted in the windows of the roll housings of the mill below the roll assembly supported therein, a roll-changing apparatus frame mounted at one end of the mill in alignment with said rails, a pair of skids mounted on said frame for movement into and out of the mill below the roll assembly mounted therein, means on said frame for actuating said skids, and means for raising and lowering the roll assembly of the mill to permit the insertion therebelow of said skids.

'7. In combination with a rolling mill, a pair of rails mounted in the windows of the roll housings of the mill below the roll assembly supported therein, a roll-supporting frame mounted at one end of the mill in alignment with said mill rails, 21, pair of skids normally outside of the mill disposed for movement over said roll-supporting frame and said mill rails and under the entire roll assembly of the mill, power means for actuating said skids, means forraising the roll assembly to permit the insertion of the skids, and means for holding said roll assembly togcther whileit is being moved on said skids.

8. In combination with a rolling mill, a pair one end of said mill with its end engaging the ends of said rails, a carriage mounted on said frame for movement to and from the mill, power means for actuating said carriage, a pair of skids connected to said. carriage for movement thereby into and out of said mill over said mill rails,

means for guiding said skids in their movement,

and means for raising the roll assembly of the mill to permit the skids to be slid thereunder and then lowering it onto said skids.

9. In combination with a rolling mill, a rollchanging apparatus according to claim 1, a balencing mechanism for the bearing chucks of the rolls which is so constructed as to. hold the roll assembly together as it is being moved out of and into the roll housings on the roll-changing apparatus.

10] A roll-changing apparatus according to claim 2 in which the power means for actuating the skids is mounted on the buggy to which the skids are attached.

changing apparatus comprising a. supporting frame, a pair of roll assembly supporting and transferring skids mounted on said frame for movement into and out of arolling mill under the roll assembly thereof, means permanently mounted in the mill below the entire roll assembly thereof for supporting said skids when inserted in the mill and means located between the bases of the roll housing for raising and lowering the roll assembly mounted in the housmgs.

12. In combination with a rolling mill, 9. roll 7 11. In combination with a rolling mill, a roll changing apparatus comprising a supporting frame, a pair of roll assembly supporting and transferring skids mounted on said frame for movement into and out of a rolling mill under the roll assembly thereof, means permanently 5 mounted in the mill below the roll assembly thereof for supporting said skids when inserted in the mill and means comprising a. part of the mill for raising and lowering the roll assembly in the roll housings of the mill to permit the insertion and 10 removal of the skids.

' CHARLES F. BU'ENTE. 

